Quilts are a beautiful addition to your bedroom, keeping you warm while giving a classy design. It’s comfortable, soft, and you’ll want to sleep with it forever! Unfortunately, spills are inevitable, and you may have spotted a stain or two that has you need to wash it soon.
But how? It isn’t just like throwing it in the washing machine! So read on as I show you how to care for your quilts.
Cleaning Your Quilts
Making your own quilt with the best iron for quilting is a pretty amazing feat. And I’m sure you’ll want to maintain its beauty and pattern after all that hard work! However, it isn’t just like your typical bedsheets that require machine-washing now and then. Here are some tips to help you clean the quilt properly to avoid damage or creating even more stains!
1. Washing New Handmade Quilts
When you just bought or created a handmade quilt, you must first check its fabric. This will prevent the dyes from running. You can test it out by wetting white cloth using cold water, then rubbing it over the different colors of your quilt. If there are color transfers, don’t attempt washing it yourself and take it to a professional dry cleaner to avoid fading and discoloration.
2. Washing Your Handmade Quilts
When cleaning your quilts, hand-washing is best as machine washing would cause stitches to unravel. But if you do machine wash it, do so with cold water, gentle detergents, and on the shortest delicate cycle.
If you have hard water, then use distilled water when washing the quilt to avoid mineral staining.
When hand washing your quilt, use cold water and use gentle, dye-free liquid detergent.
3. How to Dry Your Handmade Quilt
Drying your quilt correctly is essential to maintain its quality. Make sure that you handle your wet quilt gently, as pulling can break seams and damage it. Place your quilt on heavy towels and cover it with more towels, allowing it to absorb the water. Once a bit drier, spread it flat to another bed of dry towels. You can choose to place a fan to dry it out, peering up the process.
4. How Many Times Should You Wash the Quilt?
For all quilts, it’s best to avoid washing it regularly. If you use a quilt every day, then it’s best to wash it for only once a year. However, if you have pets or expect to make a lot of stains (from kids), then you may want to consider washing it once every few months.
Caring For Your Quilt
Now that you know all about how to wash your quilts, how can you care for them properly to avoid it from looking old and worn? Here are some tips to follow!
1. How to Store Your Quilt
When storing your quilt, you first have to make sure that it’s dry before folding. This may take a day or two after laundering. You can store the quilt by spreading it out on an extra bed, which eliminates folds and creases that wear it out. Or, you can place it in a muslin or cotton bag to allow it to breathe. Wrap it around acid-free tissue if you need to store it in a wooden drawer to avoid spotting or damage.
2. Preventing Stains and Messes
To ensure that no more future stains or spills come to your quilt, make sure that you don’t use it near any area where it’s susceptible to spills in the first place! When in bed with your quilt, avoid eating or drinking anything, or handling anything that can cause stains. Don’t let your pets go on the quilt as well, since they may scratch, bite, or shed fur.
Wrapping It Up
As long as you clean and maintain your quilt correctly, then you won’t have to worry about stains or to damage the beautiful sheets!
Hopefully, this article on caring for your sheets helped you out. If you have any questions or want to learn about quilting, then comment below. I would love to hear what you have to think!